Hapoel Tel Aviv title hopes suffer blow

Maccabi Tel Aviv will have an ideal opportunity to open a four-point gap at the
top of the Premier League standings on Sunday night after Hapoel Tel Aviv failed
to win for a fourth straight match on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Bnei Yehuda at
Bloomfield Stadium.

Maccabi hosts rock-bottom Hapoel Haifa, which has
drawn its last three matches but has just a sole win to its name in 15 games
this season.

The yellow-and-blue has Bnei Yehuda to thank for having the
chance to put some daylight between itself and the Reds after Dror Kashtan’s men
made the most of another disastrous display by Hapoel.

After picking up a
combined three points against three of the league’s bottom four sides in the
past three weeks, Hapoel was desperate for a win on Saturday.

However, it
lacked urgency and desire and dropped to its fourth defeat of the campaign, with
Adam Hrepka (13) and Sari Falach (53) scoring for Bnei Yehuda before youngster
Eden Shrem netted a meaningless consolation goal in the 89th minute, with
Hapoel’s Kfir Eizenstein being sent off in stoppage time.

“This is what
we are capable of with all our injuries and suspensions,” said Hapoel coach
Yossi Abuksis with a resigned expression on his face. “After the January
transfer window we will be a better team.”

Maccabi Haifa extended its
unbeaten streak to nine matches on Saturday, beating Hapoel Beersheba 2-0 for
its fifth win in six games.

Like each of Saturday’s matches, the game at
Kiryat Eliezer Stadium began with one minute of applause in memory of former
Israel coach Emmanuel Scheffer.

Scheffer, who died on Friday at the age
of 88, will be best remembered as the coach who guided Israel to its one and
only World Cup appearance in 1970.

Weeam Amasha (69) and Shlomi Azulai
(72) scored for the Greens, who kept their fifth straight clean-sheet and sixth
in seven matches under the guidance of coach Arik Benado.

“Our defensive
play continued to look good and we deserved this win because I can’t remember
Beersheba even reaching one scoring opportunity,” Benado said.

After an
erratic start to the season, reigning-champion Ironi Kiryat Shmona can dream of
defending its title once more, closing to within five points of first place on
Saturday thanks to a 4-3 win at Maccabi Netanya.

Two goals apiece by
Shimon Abu- Hazeira (3, 57) and Sintiyahu Salalik (56, 72) took Kiryat Shmona up
to third place, with Ahmed Saba (7), Dragan Ceran (81) and Kobi Dajani (90)
scoring for Netanya, which remained in the relegation zone after failing to win
for the eighth straight match, losing for the sixth time in that
stretch.

Hapoel Ramat Hasharon continued its climb up the standings on
Saturday, beating Hapoel Ramat Gan 1-0 for its third consecutive victory
courtesy of Tom Mansharov’s 31st-minute winner.

Also Saturday, Bnei
Sakhnin won for a third straight time, coming from behind to defeat Hapoel Acre
2-1 at Doha Stadium.

Tamir Kahlon (27) gave the visitors the lead before
Yero Bello (53) and Ali Osamn (56) ensured the three points remained in
Sakhnin.